


Hypocrispy

by trufflewaffle



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, M/M, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 20:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16102910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trufflewaffle/pseuds/trufflewaffle
Summary: Hypocrispy (noun): When a fried chicken joint's signature food offering is disappointingly soggy and nowhere near as crunchy as advertised.





	1. Black Forest

 

 

 

 

 

 

The resonant crashing of inky waters against the piers was the only form of solace for Levi. The chill from the wind seeps through the gossamer of his coat and trails icy fingers down the knobs of his vertebrae.   
                                                                                                                               

* * *

  
_“Mama?” He whispers, gripping the glass bottle with trembling hands._  
_“Yes baby?” Kuchel threads gentle fingers through Levi’s hair and hugs him close._  
_“Do you think papa will ever read our letters?” Tears well up in his eyes._  
_“Of course, darling,” she replies softly, a sad smile on her face. “Papa will always be right here, in our hearts.”_  
_“Okay,” he agrees, and release the bottle into the river below. They watch as waters carried their love away._

  
_Time sees Levi on the bridge over-looking River Sina, four years later, with hands grasped a glass bottle which held a carefully written note inside. He was nine years old then, and had learnt that empty bottles sent down rivers would never reach heaven. “Mama, I love you. I hope you and papa are happy up there,” he had said, as tears streamed down pale, gaunt cheeks._  
                                                                                                                               

* * *

  
10 Years came and went, and here he was once again. Cold hands gripped the wooden rail as Levi hoists himself up, kicking his legs over the structure.

“Mama, papa, these years without you, have been so exhausting,” he murmured, before looking up to the coal black sky and smiles, glistening rivulets against his cheeks. For a few moments he balances precariously on the wooden barrier, silently taking in the beautifully haunting sight of the River Sina. Then he lets go.

   
Levi was unable to comprehend what transpired within that 3 seconds during which his clenched fingers had relaxed. Before he could react, a pair of hands had closed around his waist like boa constrictors and someone was lifting him over the rigid structure. Levi kicks and claws at the offending warmth, infuriated that his plan had been intercepted. He turns and hisses viciously at the interloper that was holding him in a death grip.

  
“You fucker, how dare you? Fucking let go of me this instant!” Desperate, Levi continues to struggle for all his worth against the unrelenting figure. “You don’t know shit about me! Who the fuck are you to restrain me? Why? Why won’t you—" Suddenly, the bitter anguish from the resurfacing memories of the family he lost, coupled with the searing humiliation from rejection by all his relatives; and the nightmarish flashbacks of abuse which had culminated in various splotches of blue over his body, overwhelms and drowns him. To Levi’s utter mortification; profuse tears cascaded down his face, as he could no longer choke back his sobs. 

  
Distressed grey eyes meets pained blue ones. The stranger does not let go, as Levi crumbles in his arms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Red Velvet

_Warmth was something Levi was not unfamiliar with. He felt it in the bear hugs papa had given, he tasted it in fresh cookies mama had made. Levi often basked in the aforementioned element, which he came to construe as love. Warmth continued to be a constant even after the passing of his parents. He felt it in the scarlet trickles along his arms and legs, he tasted it in stinging blows on his face. The gently kindled flames had morphed into a raging blaze. Like emanated smoke, love had long rapidly evaporated. Warmth became scalding heat. Hot. Too hot._

 

Levi wrenches away from the stranger, whose hold had gradually eased. Hurriedly dashing away the last of his tears away, Levi crosses his arms and eyes the perpetrator who had rudely cut off his one way trip into the river. He had felt a vehement _desire_ to explain his pathetic emotional breakdown. He was frantic, and the sheer humiliation of letting a completely unknown person witness his vulnerability, turns into anger.

"What the fuck is the big idea? Is this you trying to play hero? If so that's an asinine idea from a rotting skull." Levi snarls, jabbing an accusatory finger at the stranger. "I hate people like you, you barge into someone else's personal affairs and ruin everything. What do you want? My gratitude? Do I owe you now? Fine! Thanks for nothing!" 

The blonde flinched and momentarily, Levi sees pain flit across his features. It was so fleeting that Levi thought that perhaps it was just a trick of the light.  “Sorry, sorry, you...the river” the now contrite busy-body was gesticulating desperately, trying to form a coherent explanation. “I..." Evidently, words were failing him. “I couldn’t let you die,” he finishes softly, fixing his gaze on Levi’s bare feet. Levi's feels his anger diffuse, replaced with a sense of guilt that he could not quite put his finger on.

“So you decided that the most rational course of action to take was to manhandle me back onto the promenade and suffocate the living daylights out of me?” Levi deadpans.

“You mean nightlights, since it’s a few hours to dawn break” the other whispers, raising his chin to look Levi in the eye, with the ghost of a smile on his lips. An odd surge of relief bubbled up within Levi.  _If he is joking around, it means that he did not take offense, right?_

“Very funny. Now leave me alone.” Levi says, already turning on his heels and internally cursing the well-meaning idiot’s ill-timed presence, and hating how easily said idiot could stir up such an impressive array of emotions within him. 

“Wait!” The stranger calls behind him. Levi feigns ignorance and continues down the path. “You can’t just walk around with bare feet, you’ll catch a cold!” He could hear footsteps quickening. _Just keep walking._ “Don’t leave me here!” _Fuck._ Levi stopped short and turns around, glaring at the source of the accursed voice. Blondie closes up the gap between them and removes his shoes, nodding pointedly at the black sneakers.

“What makes you think I’ll wear your shoes?” Levi sneers. And regrets it five seconds later. Apparently a combination of overexposure to the frosty night air, and intense crying culminates in a throbbing headache, and he could already feel it building up at the back of his skull. Some form of footwear could prove useful in easing the severity of the impending headache. Moreover, Levi most certainly does _not_ want his teeth to start chattering in-front of a some counterfeit Samaritan. He scowls, before slipping into the black sneakers, muttering about an complete lack of hygiene and germs.

“Much better, right? I’ve got on thick socks so I’m good.” A pause. “Oh, I’m Erwin Smith by the way.”

“I didn’t ask and I don’t care. What’s your problem, Smith?” Levi demands. Smith opens and closes his mouth, looking at Levi morosely. Then he blurts out a string of words that Levi almost misses.

“Thefriedchickenrestaurantisclosedtoday, ifigohomenowiwon'tbeabletosleep.”

“Why the fuck would a fast-food restaurant be open at such an ungodly hour?”

“Can you stay and talk to me? Please?”

“Can’t you just lie in bed and count sheep like any other respectable adult?”

Smith was infuriatingly unyielding. Sighing, Levi plants his hands on hips exasperatedly. "I guess i could stay around for a little chat."

The "little chat" starts off with the blonde describing to Levi in great detail, his favourite Crispy Chicken tenders (“Tenders are for lazy losers, people, Smith” “How can you say that? Apologise to the tenders!”). It then takes a disastrous turn into two hours of banter/monologue about “Smith's original and awesomely creative” home recipes.  
By the time 6 am rolled around, "Smith", a mere stranger, had now become "Erwin", a Chicken Tender fanatic with an appetite of a 10 year-old and a sense of humour that could only be appreciated by 12 year-olds. As much as Levi hated to admit it, Erwin's presence now served as a curious solace to him.

* * *

 

Later that morning, only after his grouchy passenger had alighted, did Erwin realise that he had not even asked for a name, and that he had no shoes on.

 


End file.
